Globalization of cruising: your next cruise may have a decidedly international flavor - Behind The Scenes

Cruise Travel, Dec, 2001 by M.T. Schwartzman

On a recent cruise aboard Princess Cruises' Sea Princess, the manifest listed people from more than 30 countries--and these were passengers, not crew. The largest number, over 1,700, came from the United States, but there were sizable contingents from Japan (72), Australia (58), Britain (37), and Mexico (10). Passengers came from far and wide, hailing from India to Kenya to Peru--like a floating United Nations (see Global Guests).

Global Guests

Below is a sampling of the percentage of
non-North American guests that may
be found aboard some of the major cruise
lines. The percentage of foreign passengers
may vary by season and cruise destination.

Costa Cruises           80%
First European          80%
Cunard Line             50%
Royal Olympic           15%
Royal Caribbean         15%
Princess Cruises         8%
Carnival Cruise Lines    5%
Holland America Line     4%

Cosmopolitan Manifest

On the May 19, 2001, sailing of Princess
Cruises' Sea Princess, the passenger
manifest comprised people from 32 countries.
Following is a complete alphabetical
list of their nationalities and numbers:

Australia              58
Austria                 2
Brazil                  2
Canada                 76
China                   3
Colombia                3
Dominica                2
El Salvador             2
Estonia                 1
Germany                 8
Greece                  2
India                   5
Indonesia               1
Ireland                 1
Israel                  4
Japan                  72
Kenya                   1
Korea                   4
Malaysia                4
Mexico                 10
New Zealand             2
Norway                  1
Peru                    1
Philippines             1
Portugal                7
Sweden                  3
Switzerland             2
Taiwan                  2
Trinidad & Tobago       3
United Kingdom         37
United States       1,719
Venezuela               1

It wasn't typical, but it does demonstrate a point: Cruising is becoming increasingly global, not in terms of where the ships are going, but where the passengers are coming from. Chances are, you'll be seeing more foreign passengers aboard ship in the future, especially in the Mediterranean or Alaska.

The reason behind this trend is simple: While cruising has a market penetration in the U.S. of about 15 percent, it's only about two percent worldwide, according to Gary Bruton, the vice president in charge of foreign business for Royal Caribbean International. From the industry's point of view, that's a cruise revolution waiting to happen.

While the major cruise lines remain firmly committed to their home markets, they are eager to tap into the global market as well. The potential, they say, is enormous. "Acceptance of U.S. brands is not a problem," Bruton said. "Walk down any street in the world and you see American brands." The key, he says, is to make passengers from abroad feel comfortable on a North American ship.

Royal Caribbean has been one of the most active and successful companies in the foreign arena (see box), and has made an all-out effort to attract foreign passengers. "We instituted a multi-million dollar program called Fluent Seas," Bruton said, "and this allows us to have multi-language materials aboard the ships--everything from menus to foreign-language movies in the cabins--to make everything friendlier for our foreign guests."

As part of the Fluent Seas initiative, daily programs are printed in French, German, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. International hosts are onboard to help with foreign guests. Although ship announcements are normally made in English, and sometimes Spanish, emergency tapes are available in-cabin in additional languages.

Currently, the company draws 15 percent of its passengers from overseas--20 percent in the case of European cruises. "We have the most developed international network of any of the major cruise lines," Bruton said. "We operate company-owned offices in the U.K., Scandinavia, Switzerland, France, and Italy, and we have a series of over 50 international representatives that are dedicated to selling our two brands. We have three offices in China. We're in Russia, South America, and the Middle East."

Royal Caribbean also has dedicated a ship, the Splendour of the Seas, solely to the foreign market this year. It's the first time that the line has deployed a ship that is not marketed in the United States. The vessel sails Latin American itineraries out of Brazil and Argentina in the winter, and Mediterranean cruises out of Spain and Italy in the summer. Not much was needed to make the ship ready for non-North American passengers, Bruton noted, "We've made some small changes--dining times are later and entertainment is different."

In order to further generate passengers from the United Kingdom, Royal Caribbean recently entered into a "strategic alliance" with First Choice Holidays, one of Britain's largest tour operators. The operator will promote both the Royal Caribbean and Celebrity brands within the U.K. As part of the deal, Royal Caribbean has also agreed to start a new joint venture, Island Cruises, using the 1,500-passenger Viking Serenade as its initial vessel. The ship will sail seven- and 14-day cruises out of Spain when she inaugurates service in spring 2002.